9th floor stranger
by new born bliss
Summary: Frerard. rated M for a reason. Frank gets tired of the his old routine and finds his neighbors or at least one neighbors life much more interesting
1. Chapter 1

Frank's POV

I slammed the door behind me, throwing my apartment keys fuck knows where and heard them hit the ground with a loud clank. I swiped the sweat off of my forehead taking a deep breath. Why the hell did I have to live on the 9th floor? No, more like why the hell is no one fixing our damn elevator? It's been 3 days now.

My 3 dogs have been yipping and jumping around my legs for a while now, demanding my attention so I bent down and petted each one of them so they wouldn't think I forgot about them. It's kind of hard to ignore something when it's trying to climb on you anyway. A smile spread on my face from their eagerness and excitement from seeing me home. At least they appreciate me. Not like the 4 cats I had to take care of today because the old lady forgot she was supposed to pick them up. And of course, they had to appoint that job to me. It's not like I didn't have other animals to treat or an assistant who spends half the day chewing his gum and texting instead of helping me. I'll need to find another vet assistant I thought as I took off my jacket and threw it unceremoniously on the couch. I winced as the fabric brushed against the many cat scratches on my arms. Cursing the old lady again I settled in my usual spot on the couch where every single evening I turn on my TV and watch crappy shows hoping something good will come on but it rarely does. Then I take my dogs for a walk, have dinner and go to sleep. These are just my everyday habits, I'm not sure if I can call it a routine, 'cause a routine sounds a bit depressing while I'm completely fine with it. I like having control over my life. At least I thought so.

Today was different, I didn't want the usual crap TV… alright, I usually never want it but I still do it because I can't think of anything better to do but today it's just… I couldn't will myself to reach for the remote control, it's like I was glued to the couch and the mere thought of turning it on made my stomach churn.

I don't know what made me go out in the balcony, was it the bad day at work, the couch rubbing painfully against the many cuts and scratches, the stuffy living room or the fact that I wanted a smoke but next thing I know I'm sitting in my lounge chair breathing in the fresh air and lighting up a cigarette. I wasn't exactly breaking my habit I was still wasting my time home alone. The view outside wasn't very impressive: looking down (if your head doesn't spin from being on the 9th floor) there was a small parking lot and some old rusty swings that made those creepy noises when the strong wind moved them. Look to the left you see some of the same block buildings, look to the right you see the same identical flats, look in front of you and surprise surprise the view is blocked by another building that stood a bit too close to mine. I had nothing else to do while sitting there than to study the building in front of me, as I puffed on the poisonous stick.

At first it wasn't very interesting, it was the exact same building as mine but I picked up some things and made it more exciting. I would stare at the people's windows, see what curtains they have or if they have flowers on their windowsill and guess how the rest of the room looks like or when someone stands close to the window I tried to guess what they're doing, who they were talking to and I realized that it was damn interesting. It was like exercise for my imagination.

My eyesight was fairly good and the building is close so I can basically see everything even my neighbor's face expressions. I knew most of these people I tried to be friendly with all of them, it's better to have friends than enemies. I've been living here for about 7 years now since I moved out of my parent's place and started going to college so I would notice the new people and just generally tried to be in everyone's good books. That comes in handy when I play loud music here and trash around my flat, people don't call the cops or complain much.

I finished my cigarette about 5min. ago and I was still staring at the opposite building like it's a new reality TV show which I was narrating. Alright I admit, maybe it was a creepy thing to do but I didn't really give a fuck, this was more entertaining than some boring ass talk show about some sad divorced couple. Soon I picked my favorites, the ones who were most interesting to watch: the little girl on the 6th floor, I'm pretty sure she was Mrs. Nestler's daughter, who ran out of paper and continued drawing on the wall and her parents should come back home any minute now, plus I'm pretty sure she was drawing a mutant octopus with a bunny's head. Then there was the new guy who moved in here a couple of weeks ago from New York on the 10th floor who was talking on the phone and pacing in front of his window and making a lot of hand gestures. That guy was just plain amusing. He looked like he was having an argument or at least a very tense conversation and he was using a lot of hand gestures that could be interpreted in many ways. And lastly right in front of me on the 9th floor was a guy dancing in his underwear and holding what seemed to be a paint brush in his hand. He would occasionally swipe it across something I couldn't see but most of the time it served as a microphone. He was the most interesting one, he seemed so happy, not a care in the world, it seemed like if a war would break out, he'd be handing out freshly baked cookies to the enemy. Also I couldn't put a name on him and that's strange. As is said I knew most of these people or at least would recognize them on the street but this one I've never seen before. He couldn't be new, he looks way too comfortable and there are no boxes in his room like in theNew York guy's place. He looked a bit older than me and had black hair that was cut right bellow his ears. He wasn't one of those muscular guys nor was he too skinny or chubby, he just seemed well-built and man he could swing those hips. Just seeing him dance made me curious what he's listening to. I couldn't see his face properly because he kept head banging and trashing around. Whatever it was, it seemed like he was really into the music.

The sound of my dogs scratching the balcony door startled me a little and I realized I've been sitting here for a while now. I took one last look at my neighbors before attaching the leashes and going out for a walk. I went to my usual spot in the park, released my dogs for a bit and let them have their fun while I sat on the bench laughing at them. The air was still warm, I didn't even need to take my jacket but it had the evening breeze that I always find refreshing. On my way back I waved a hello to some of the people in my building who were going out for an evening jog or like me taking their pets for a walk. I stopped to chat for a bit with Mrs. Rayley, the old lady from my building whose parrot I treated last week. I made small talk questioning how's her pet doing until it occurred to me

"Do you know who lives on the 9th floor apartment opposite from mine?" I asked even pointing to the dancing man's window. She's been living here way longer than me and she's better at keeping tracks of people. She took a while thinking

"I don't think I know dear. I know that a sweet couple used to live there but they moved out when the girl got pregnant, they wanted to raise their kid in a nice house away from the city you know? But that was 3 years ago, I think you might remember them, they went for walks in the evening often, always so sweet towards each other, holding hands and so deeply in love" she rambled on, a dreamy look on her face. I did remember them, couples like that made me sick in the stomach. I mean I have nothing against a little romance but they were a bit over-affectionate, I don't think I could be in that sort of relationship.

"I know that the person who moved in after them was something of an artist but that's all I know, I don't think he comes out much" she said with a sad sigh. I figured out that much by myself but I still thanked her and began to climbMount Everestto my apartment again. By the time I reached it my dogs were already waiting by the door impatiently as I fished my keys out of my pocket.

I heated up the frozen veggie pizza and was about to slump down on my couch when I realized I'd much rather eat outside watching a live show. Once again I relaxed on my lounge chair before looking over to my neighbors. The new guy was nowhere to be seen, Mrs. Nestler was scrubbing the wall furiously and yelling something and the mystery guy was actually in his balcony smoking a cigarette, now wearing sweatpants but still shirtless. He looked deep in thought, closing his eyes in concentration. I started wondering what's going on in his mind, looking over his face features clearly now, the high cheekbones and slightly upturned nose. His eyes shot open suddenly and holy fuck he was looking straight at my direction. I panicked and slid down my chair as low as I could. This was the first time I was thankful for the fact I was short. I could still see glimpses of what's going on through a small gap. I don't think he noticed me because he looked indifferent and maybe a bit bored actually and continued looking around for a moment before stubbing the cigarette onto the wall and walking back into his flat somewhere where I couldn't see him anymore. Slowly I sat back up normally. The realization of how creepy I am hit me. 'Jesus Christ what am I doing?' I was just sitting here, eating and stalking my neighbors. I felt so embarrassed I laughed at myself quietly before going back inside and turning my TV on for the first time today. What was I thinking? I need to get a new hobby, one that doesn't involve stalking my neighbors.

I was woken up by the sound of my alarm clock and like every morning I got up to take my dogs out for a walk letting the morning chill wake me up fully. Then my usual breakfast, but something about this morning was still off. I couldn't help but keep glancing from my window as I was making my bed trying to catch the stranger from the 9th floor. I kept making excuses to go to my room until I was getting late for work and had to nearly run to catch my bus. When I arrived, first of I fired my shitty assistant, of course I let him down easy, I'm not that cruel. Strangely my day was even easier when he wasn't around pissing me off, maybe I could go without an assistant I thought until I was about to end my shift and noticed the huge pile of papers that needed to be taken care of and ended up sitting in my office for an additional hour.

I got back home on autopilot and turned on my TV without even thinking. The show was so boring I thought I was going to fall asleep right there on my couch so I turned it off and walked around the room for a bit thinking of what to do. There was a nagging feeling inside my chest creeping and crawling in my head, I needed a smoke, though I knew perfectly well that it wasn't it. Though I usually smoke freely inside the house I went to the balcony.

I sat down feeling a bit self-conscious now, knowing why I was here and that I could get caught but the curiosity was too much for me to take, I had to know…He was there in the room, not dancing or painting this time but talking on the phone while leaning against the window. It seemed like a nice phone call since he smiled on more than one occasion. He looked kind of cute when he smiled actually. I wondered who he was talking to probably his girlfriend or a close friend. Why am I wondering if he has a girlfriend? He turned away from the window and I leaned over closer putting my elbows on the edge of my balcony automatically trying to see what he was doing. He was dragging something big with one hand, the other still holding the phone. It was a huge piece of canvas and there was something painted on it but I couldn't see clearly, the canvas was in the shadow and I was too far away to make out the details. All I could see was the colors black, red and yellow all mingled into something. I wanted to see it desperately, was that what he was painting yesterday? Is he going to sell it? This and another million questions went through my mind as I watched him for the rest of the evening. That was probably when I realized that stalking this guy will become my new habit. I didn't care how creepy that sounded, it's not like it's hurting anyone that I'm simply curious. Okay, I had to admit the pretty guy was hot but he seemed interesting as well, I kept wondering what his name was but nothing that came to my mind seemed to suit him.

For the rest of the week my routine changed, now my TV time was replaced with being in my balcony. I even got as far as getting a little table out there as well so I could put down my drink. The first few days were still weird, it felt wrong even a little sick but eventually I got over it and next Monday I shamelessly watched him and already caught up on some things: he's never there in the morning and I've never caught him going to sleep, I'm usually the one who gives up and goes inside. He paints usually with music in the background and goes outside for a smoke every hour or so. He gets frustrated fast and usually ends up throwing the paint brush across the room and sometimes doesn't go back to the painting for a few days.

Whenever I would go outside I would ask my neighbors is they knew who he was but no one had the faintest clue. It was frustrating, how could someone have lived in an apartment for 3 years and never shown their face in the street. I'm sure I would have remembered a face like his.

It's been 2 weeks since I first laid eyes on him and I was no closer to finding out who he is, I could officially call myself a full-time stalker now. It was Tuesday evening and I was just back from taking the dogs for a walk when I noticed I had a huge bag of trash I failed to pick up earlier. I sighed in frustration and left the flat again and got into the elevator thanking god Buddha or whatever other magical force that the damn thing was finally fixed. The sun was almost completely set and the neighborhood was quiet and empty, only the sound of my shoes hitting the rough sidewalk. I opened up the large metal trash can dumped the bag in and closed it hearing the unpleasant noise echo through the parking lot and the playground. I turned around and jumped at the sight of another person standing right behind me. I heard a faint chuckle and a quiet "sorry". I looked up finally looking in the eye of the 9th floor stranger.


	2. Chapter 2

I stared at him for a few moments, my mind still in shock from seeing the dancing man right there in front of me where I could see him more detailed than ever and he looked way more fascinating than from the balcony. It occurred to me that he had actually said something to me, should I say something back? Or just smile and walk away? Before I could properly decide my mouth was already open

"Jesus you're like a ninja!" I said deciding to at least try to act like I hadn't seen him in his underwear though I didn't even know his name. He just smiled warmly and said

"Sorry to disappoint you but I'm not, didn't mean to startle you" he added looking apologetic. Okay how do I continue from here? How do I usually act around people I don't stalk? As far as he knows I'm seeing him for the very first time so I should act like I always do around new people, yeah that should work

"It's nothing. Hey I don't think I know you I'm Frank" I said extending my hand seeming a little too excited for a guy who was just scared to death. He took my hand in his and gave it a firm squeeze

"Nice to meet you Frank, I'm Gerard" he said not breaking eye contact. The name was not that common but it fit him and I definitely liked the way he said my name.

"I haven't seen you around much, did you move in here recently?" I asked thinking that that would be the next logical question though when the words left my mouth I realized that if I'm supposedly seeing him for the very first time how do I know he even lives here, he could be just passing by. I started panicking a little thinking this will backfire badly.

Gerard looked down at the trash bag he was holding probably thinking that that's how I got the assumption. I didn't even notice it, his face was too distracting. I smiled a bit in relief feeling a little less tense now

"No I've been living here for a couple of years now but I've got a night job at a bar and I don't go out much during the day so that's why you probably haven't seen me around" he said going around me to dump his trash into the can.

That explains a lot, why I never see him going to sleep and he was probably still sleeping when I tried to catch him in the morning.

"Huh so you're like a vampire" I said. He chuckled

"I've never looked at it that way, yeah I guess. Though not the crappy twilight vampires those are just lame" Gerard said with a thoughtful note.

"Oh no I mean the old classical ones, who actually die in the sunlight, not get covered in glitter" I said quickly trying to correct myself.

"Yeah those were the best. Anyway I have to go now, I don't want to be late for work. It's been nice talking to you, Frank." Gerard said backing away and waving a goodbye.

"You too. See you around!" I shouted after him as he disappeared in the darkness. I heard him laugh it off and then I realized it too, it'll be unlikely to 'see him around' much if I hadn't noticed he even existed for about 3 years. But still this changes things, actually I think I just ruined the whole concept of stalking, isn't the person you're stalking shouldn't supposed to know about it? Okay he doesn't know it but still I've made contact and made small talk and that made the whole stalking him thing way worse.

I had trouble falling asleep that night, the thought of Gerard and that maybe I should quit stalking him and actually talk to him like normal people do kept circling my mind. I woke up still hadn't decided of what should I do.

I got to work earlier that day, there were more than 3 applicants for a vet assistant so I had to interview them. I sat there watching them tremble and shift uncomfortably in their chairs as they answered the questions, what did they think that I was going to eat them if they answer wrong? I ruled out the 2 girls who were no older than 21, as much as they think animals are cute and they want to help them I doubt they would have the guts to stick their pretty little hands with styled nails up a dogs ass. I was down to 2: a tough looking woman about the same age as I am with a degree and a lot of similar experience and a guy with the same degree but sadly no experience he could offer. I went with the 2nd one, Ray, and let the other one down saying she was over experienced for a simple job like this. Plus I'm a nice guy I wanted to give that guy a chance, he looked very determined.

He took his job very seriously, either he was that desperate to keep this job and was trying to make an impression or he was enjoying this.

I got back home surprisingly early that day it was only a little after 4pm, all thanks to Ray, bless his huge fro. My dogs were also surprised, jumping and barking louder than usual around me. After I had my fun with them I threw them a new squeaky toy I managed to sneak out of my work place and watched them battle and fight over it.

My body was on autopilot as I grabbed a beer and walked towards the balcony but something kicked in just before I stepped outside. It was a similar feeling to when I went to do this the very first times, I was nervous, torn between what should I do. All I knew was I wanted to get to know Gerard better but how do I even do that? Do I just go and knock on his apartment door and say, what 'hey I've been stalking you for the last few weeks do you want to go for a drink?' 'a bird told me where you live so I thought I'd stop by and say hello'. Or maybe I wait by the trash cans every night waiting for him to show up again.

I put my face in my hand and realized I'm already standing in my balcony having a smoke, I didn't even remember lighting one. I knew breaking my habit wouldn't be a good idea. Thankfully the smoke relieved my stress a bit and I sat back down on my comfy chair and stared at the opposite building not thinking of what better else to do.

He showed up after I finished my 2nd cigarette. His hair was all messed up and he was scratching his eyes like he just woke up. He was wearing plain sweatpants as usual as he walked by his stereo probably turning it on. Gerard. It's strange finally calling him by a name even if it's just inside my head and not just 'that guy' 'the stranger' 'the dancing man' but Gerard. His name had a ring to it. I kept repeating it in my head for a while. I wouldn't mind whispering it into his ear or moaning it while he's- whoa! Okay Iero, that's a little too far, leave that for alone time. I chuckled at myself reaching for the bottle of beer without taking my eyes off of him seeing him go out in the balcony himself, probably for a smoke.

I, apparently, thought high of my 'being aware of my surroundings' skills because I knocked the bottle over thinking it stood a bit further away. I jumped out of my seat grabbing the bottle and saved at least 1/3 of the drink. The rest spilled on the floor and on the small carpet I had.

"Fuck!" I exclaimed loudly as I watched it soak through my nice little carpet. I wasn't even sure if I could wash it. I reached for the little cabinet near my lounge chair where I know there's a spare washcloth. There was even a bit of it on the balcony railing. As I wiped the drink furiously of the metal railing, I very briefly glanced over Gerard's apartment and to my surprise he was the one watching me now, comfortably leaning on his own balcony railing with his elbows. I stood frozen in place, like being caught stealing something or lying, my heartbeat quickening. He was staring at me with an amused smile and waved a little. I continued standing there not knowing what to do. How long has he been watching me?

I raised my left arm and waved back slowly, I waved for a bit too long than necessary. He continued standing there with the same small smile on his face.

"You know you should really wash that before it starts to dry, then it gets really sticky" Gerard said loudly so I would hear. I looked down seeing the washcloth in my hand. For a moment I forgot what was I supposed to do with it. I smiled stupidly wide and shouted back

"Thanks!" and continued staring, seeing if he'll say anything more. When he didn't I bent down to clean the rest of the mess up. The washcloth got soaked in a few seconds so I stood back up and firstly looked over to his apartment, but he was nowhere to be seen. I sighed in disappointment and went into the bathroom and got a bigger washcloth. Every time I would go in or out of the balcony I would look over hoping he's in the room or maybe outside but no luck. I didn't see him for the rest of the day.

The next morning I was greeted with a cup of coffee and my day's patients already neatly filed up so I wouldn't need to go to the reception every time. I looked up at my new assistant with great awe

"I know this is only your second day here but so far you're the best assistant I've ever had" I said honestly. Even though I don't like to do a lot of praising because then they start slacking and not trying as much but this guy fucking deserved it. Ray smiled wide

"Thank you doctor Iero" he said setting down the filed papers on my desk.

"Oh god no don't call me that. It makes me feel old, just call me Frank alright?" I said waving it off.

"Uh… okay Frank" Ray said still sounding official and barely making his tongue roll over and say my name. I didn't care if it was hard for him he'll just have to get over it, he is not going to call me 'doctor Iero' when he's older than me by a year.

"Well your first appointment is with a dog named Gledstone that has most likely broken a leg and it's in about 15 minutes. Would you like anything until that?" he asked, his posture stiff.

"No thank you, really. You already did half of my work today" okay maybe I was sugarcoating it a bit but this guy was a life savior.

"I'm just trying to do my job and learn as much as I can" he explained seriously.

An idea formed in my head while I was skimming through poor Gledstones file

"Alright, if you want to learn, I'm going to let you do my first appointment, a broken leg is nothing difficult and easy to treat" I said coming to a decision.

Ray's eyes went wide in astonishment

"But I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it. I mean I know how to do it but only in theory, I've never actually done any real vet work" he stuttered, rambling quickly

"Well I'm not leaving you completely on your own. I'll still be there to give you advice and help you so you'll get your chance to do some actual vet work" I said calmly accenting my last words. Ray's face was priceless: he looked like a kid who's been told that he can have a tree-house.

Of course he did just fine, he barely needed my help and that face expression kept me amused for the rest of the day. Though, when I got back home all jokes were replaced with anxiousness. Things changed yesterday and I actually formed a plan on how to talk to him again and not by the trash or shouting from our balconies but it would require a whole lot of luck.

I stepped out into my balcony once again feeling the ground still slightly sticky from last night's mishap and sat down not even sure what I'm trying to accomplish here anymore. Gerard showed up. Of course he showed up, why wouldn't he and soon enough he walked out into his own balcony as well. Now this is the part where I would usually shrink down in my chair so he wouldn't see me but today I stood up and lit up a cigarette, looking like I came out here for a smoke as well. I glanced up casually in his direction and saw him do the same thing. Gerard smiled and waved to me before hollowing his cheeks around the nicotine stick and blowing out the smoke. He could do cigarette commercials, I know I would definitely buy them. I waved back trying to remember how I planned it in my mind and started to speak but just when I opened my mouth Gerard did the same and both of us started saying something at the same time. I started laughing before even getting one word out properly and saw Gerard shaking his shoulders slightly in laughter as well. He motioned for me to go first and this time when I opened my mouth, I forgot everything I wanted to say, only fragments but not the whole deal

"The bar… uh, you said you work in a bar?" I finally managed to say. Oh god when did I become such a wimp?

"Yes I do, what of it?" Gerard asked politely cocking his head to the side a bit

"Which bar is it? I mean I don't go out to bars that much 'cause I don't have anyone to go with but it'd be nice if I knew you were there' okay that sounded less pathetic in my head I swear.

He looked like he was trying to keep from smiling too much or even laughing and that wasn't very comforting

"It's nearby the one just right down the street, right next to that fancy barber shop" he said looking straight at me. "and sure, my shift starts at 9pm so you're welcome to keep me company"

I tried to remember the place he described and remembered my mom telling me once to stay away from that place so it can't be very friendly but if Gerard works there and I'll get to talk to him properly I don't care.

"Yeah I know the place. And thanks, I mean if you don't mind that I keep you company" as much as I wanted to get to know him, I had to make sure I wouldn't be a burden to him, it's just basic things my mother taught me. His eyes went wide

"No, of course not. The people there aren't exactly the nicest so it'll be nice to have someone to talk to." Maybe I was a little too far away to see clearly but it seemed that he was smirking, but it was probably just a regular smile. I smiled in relief that this went better than I thought it would and watched him leave his balcony and for the first time in a couple of weeks I walked out as well way earlier than I usually do.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: one more chapter and that's it for this story, spoiler alert for the next chapter: there will be smut. i know, shocking. anyway enjoy**

I took my dogs out earlier that day so I would have enough time to get ready to go to the bar. It seemed so strange saying it, 'go to the bar' when the last time I was in one was years ago before I got a proper job and devoted my life to treating animals. Most of my friends drifted away from me but I was fine with that, I didn't have time for them anyway, well at least back then when I would work long and exhausting hours and to be honest I don't miss them that much. I still go out with a few of them maybe like once a month but as I said, I was fine with that. My habits, work and co-workers became my life.

I was heading back to my apartment, my mind in a completely different place so I was caught off guard by Mrs. Rayley who stopped me to have a chat with her

"So I hear you're going out tonight with the artist" she said looking up from under her tiny glasses.

"How did you even find out about that? I thought you didn't know Gerard" I said surprised. I know she likes to gossip but how on earth did she know about that?

"Honey, the whole neighborhood heard you talking to each other from the balconies" she said with a laugh "oh, his name is Gerard? What an unusual name, sounds French" she added more to herself.

I had one of the biggest 'ooooooh's' ever because how didn't I think of that. Everything in this neighborhood echoes.

"Oh. Well I am seeing him later today but it's not a date" I said, even though I really wanted it to be

"Sure it isn't sweetie. He seems like a nice man, you both would do great together" she said knowingly. The conversation changed from there and Gerard's name wasn't brought back up. After 10 minutes of chatting with her I had to excuse myself if I wanted to be ready in time. I wondered how many of my neighbors heard the conversation me and Gerard had. Well if Mrs. Rayley heard it, the whole neighborhood should know about it in an hour or two. I couldn't really be upset about it, that my privacy was being invaded, in a way it was my own fault.

I closed the front door to my apartment behind me, my thoughts still going 'round the rumors that will be spread this week and found myself going to the balcony without even realizing it. I stopped and cursed under my breath for getting sidetracked, turned around, grabbed a fresh clean towel and headed towards the bathroom. That's the thing about habits, it's hard to get rid of them unless in my case one habit is replaced with another, more interesting one. I realized I can't continue stalking him while I can properly talk to him now but going back to the crappy TV shows wasn't much comfort. I could do more hours in the vet clinic if I couldn't think of anything else.

There was still more than an hour left till I had to leave and I was already dressed. I know what clothes made me look good so I chose one of my best. I know this wasn't a date and that the bar is basically a shit hole and I'll probably get them dirty by the end of the night but at least I'll make a good _first_ impression, right?

I was jittery and I didn't know what to do with the spare time I had. I've went out before, to bars and on dates but I've never felt this nervous or maybe I just forgot the feeling over time. If I'd go out on a date I was already determined of what I wanted and around 9 of 10 times it was to get laid. Now, I didn't know what I wanted and it was scaring me.

I couldn't bear to watch TV so I ended up playing with my dogs, the 3 best friends I had for the hour. They took my mind off of meeting with Gerard so when I had to finally leave most of the stress had subdued.

I walked the short distance from my house to the bar. Even the name of it was torn and several letters scratched so it was impossible to tell the original name. If Gerard hadn't told me he worked here I would have thought it was closed long time ago. The inside was fairly decent: old round tables on the left side and what most likely once was a small stage at the far back. The whole place had a strong scent of alcohol, sweat and piss and at first it was so awful it felt like my eyes were burning but I found out you get used to the smell. There were only a few people there, it was a little after 9pm so most of the drunks should start heading in around 11 if things hadn't changed. I sat down on one of those high stools at the bar looking around the place wondering what exactly was Gerard's job here when a familiar voice caught me off guard.

"Hey there, I'm glad you came" Gerard's soft voice interrupted my train of thought and made me spin around facing the bar. He was standing behind it setting some bottles in front of him.

"Hi, well yeah I said I would. I just thought I could use some company today instead of slouching in front of my TV" I said or more like lied. I would have spent it stalking his apartment. His eyes lit up and he smiled shyly

"Well I'm just happy that you did, most of the time it's really boring here. Would you like a drink? It's on me" from the balcony it was hard to notice but when he talks it's mostly from one side of his mouth like there's something making his lips drift to that one side.

"Oh just a beer thank you. Then why don't you change jobs? Why did you take this one in the first place?" I asked

"It's decent money and I didn't really go to college so I don't have a major in anything, I went to art school but that isn't much of a profit. I don't really have any other job experience so searching for another job would be difficult." He explained while getting me a bottle of beer. A thousand more questions went through my mind, I wanted to know everything.

"But you managed to get this job why do you think you won't be able to get a better one? I can help you out, the receptionist in our clinic is very old and she's retiring in a couple of months and her job isn't that difficult I could get you her place if you want" I rambled quickly. The thought of seeing him every day at work made me very happy.

He smiled wide at me but then his face turned apologetic

"Thank you, I really appreciate it but I've been working here for more than a year now. It's close to my home, the pay is half bad, I know how everything works here, it's familiar, it's safe well sort of" he added with a small laugh. I knew the feeling perfectly well, because I've been living by that for a while now too but I've never met another person who's felt the same way about these things like I do.

I continued persuading him into taking the job explaining that I understand perfectly well how it feels and trying to make him see that it could be for the better. I managed to get him promise to at least think about it. We talked for a long time with short pauses and interruptions from other people asking for drinks.

The longer I sat there the ruder people got around me. At first they would start out politely asking for a drink but as the evening progressed and all the sweaty, dirty alcoholics started filling in they would end up banging their fists on the bar yelling something incoherent. Gerard didn't seem fazed by that and seemed to understand perfectly well that they were asking for. The names that those people called him 'you, pretty boy' 'hey, sugar lips' and other ones that were slurred through their drunken tongues were annoying me. I tried not to let it get to me but I still clenched my hand around the bottle tighter.

After some busy 10 minutes Gerard went back to me and started to apologize for not being very good company for me. I laughed it off

"It's alright, it's your job anyway I'm just glad I have someone to talk to here. By the way that the people talk to you here I'd say I'm back at the gay bar" I just couldn't keep my jealous mouth shut, of course not.

He giggled nervously

"You'd be surprised by the amount of times I get mistaken for a girl" then his expression turned a bit urgent "I just suggest you keep it down about going to gay bars and such, the people here aren't the most tolerant ones. But I'm totally fine with it" he added quickly. Of course he would be fine with it, no one could dance like that in their underwear and be straight.

I thanked him for the warning and we continued talking, we talked about everything: how each of us got here, our jobs, music, movies, childhoods… I felt like I could talk to him about pretty much anything and he'd have something to say about it, he had an insight opinion about almost everything.

When I heard the door slam shut quite loudly I looked over seeing that there were only a few people left here. I glanced at the clock seeing it's a bit past 2 in the morning. Just then we were (well mostly Gerard) talking about his art school and the things he draws and paints.

"I really hate to say this but it's getting really late and I have work in the morning" I said uncomfortably, not wanting to leave just yet.

"Oh! I'm sorry I got carried away. It's alright, the bar closes in a couple of hours anyway" he said

"You talked about your work so much I'd really like to see it someday, if you don't mind I mean" I said slowly getting up from the stool

"Well it's not something very special but yeah sure, if you'd like you can come over on Sunday and I'll show you" he said trying to contain his smile but failing

"That'd be great! I can't wait" I said excitedly. A bit too excited actually. I waved him a goodbye and walked out into the chilly night. The streets were dark but I reached my building quick so I didn't have the time to get nervous about the people lurking there. I couldn't stop smiling every time his face flashed through my mind.

I almost overslept and missed my bus the next morning. The coffee Ray gave me made my vision clearer but I was still sleepy. I let Ray do a couple of more appointments and showed him how to do the more difficult ones, he wrote everything down like a school boy at one point I was almost expecting him to raise his hand so he could talk.

I was counting the hours and minutes till Sunday and it was making time pass agonizingly slow. For the rest of the week I tried to resist going to the balcony to check on him, okay I may have slipped one time or two but I was doing better. All the talk we had about music made me remember my old guitar buried in the closet, I hadn't played it since college so it was nice to play music again plus it was a distraction.

Sunday finally came, though it seemed like I was waiting for it for a month not 4 days. I took my time, cleaned the flat like I always do on Sunday, took out my dogs, and went to the store. I knew Gerard won't be up until at least 5pm anyway. I started checking his apartment every now and then from the balcony window since 6pm, I wasn't stalking, just making sure if he's up. It was hard to catch him, he was walking around his flat a lot, moving stuff around and then staring at them one hand on his hip the other running through his hair before shaking his head and starting to move them again.

I took my dogs out for a walk, changed into better clothes, checked myself in the mirror 3 more times before deciding that it's time to leave. I walked across the familiar playground to the building and took a deep breath before finding the name 'G. Way' and pressing the button. He answered immediately and buzzed me in.

It was a cool evening but I was feeling warm, it seemed like there was no air left in the hallway when I got out of the elevator. I took off my jacket before I started to sweat and walked to the plain black door that was his apartment. I heard movement behind it, it seemed like he was pacing around.

I knocked twice on the door and it swung open in front of me after a moment.

"Hey come in" Gerard said before stepping back to let me inside. His apartment was small, similar to mine and had a distinctive paint and cigarette smell.

He took me into his kitchen at first we each had a cup of coffee and talked about one another's week. I was feeling more relaxed already, talking to him was so easy the words were just flowing from my mouth. Though, as much as I loved the conversation I was getting impatient

"Alright enough with the suspense I want to see your art" I said setting down the empty cup on the table. He just chuckled and led me into his living room without another word. It was so strange being in the room I've been watching for 3 weeks, finally walking around in it, seeing the big stereo where he played his music, CD's piled up neatly near it, the couch I once saw him sleeping on after painting for a long time, the balcony he goes to get a smoke. The room was bigger than I thought it would be, I couldn't see a part of it from my window and that's where all of his paintings were. There were about 6 or 7 pieces of colored canvas put against the empty wall though from what Gerard told me yesterday he gave away some of these to his family and sold a couple as well. Honestly I didn't know anything about art but the paintings were very good, detailed, it seemed like every one was trying to tell a story. Some of them were dark and heavy, the others colorful and vibrant. I realized my mouth was open while I was staring at each and one of them

"Wow these are really good. I mean it, I've never seen anything like it" I said not taking my eyes off of them. I heard him say a quiet 'thank you'

"Can you tell me more about them?" I asked finally looking up at him. Gerard looked very surprised at this

"You honestly want to hear about them?" he asked.

"Of course I do! I don't know much about art so it's interesting to me" I said explaining it to him. He let out a breath that he was holding in, smiled and said

"Sorry, it's just strange for me. Usually everyone asks for me to stop talking about art" now it was my turn to look surprised. How could anyone not be interested or even get bored listening to his story telling? The way he was so visual about everything, with hidden meanings and metaphors and how he starts to gesture with his hands more when he gets excited. I sat on the couch occasionally walking closer to see the details he was describing and the reasons behind them. Everything seemed so simple, easy and obvious when he described it, like it couldn't have been any other way. I barely said anything, only to ask him about some parts or how did he think of portraying it like that. For someone like me, who devoted his life to science and medicine all of it was like discovering a new world.

After a while it was Gerard who said

"It's getting really late and I've been talking nonstop for a long time now you must be getting bored"

"Are you kidding me? I could listen to you talk all day" I didn't mean for it to sound so desperate, I really did. He let out another nervous giggle

"Thank you but still it's already dark and you have work in the morning…" he trailed off

"So what, you're kicking me out?" I asked playfully. His eyes went wide

"No no I'm not. It's just I don't want to be the reason you're sleepy and grumpy in the morning"

I laughed it off slowly walking towards the door. I didn't really know how to say goodbye, a handshake was too formal and a hug was maybe too much for people who've been friends for only a few days.

"Thanks for showing me your work, it was really something" I said with a small smile hoping this wouldn't be awkward

"It's nothing, I'm glad you liked it. You should visit me more often when I'm not working, I have more drawings in my room or we could just watch a movie" he offered.

As much as I would have loved to hang out here I felt like I was being too clingy towards him

"I'd like to but I don't want to take up your free time when you can spend it painting and doing something productive and-" Gerard did something I didn't expect him to: he lifted up my chin slightly with his hand and placed a soft kiss on my lips

"Please?" he asked quietly still standing close and keeping his hand under my chin. I could hear my racing heartbeat in my ears, my stomach turning into knots, my head fuzzy from the tingling on my lips. I found my voice again after a moment of composure

"Okay, I'll be there"

Gerard smiled in response stepping back and letting me leave his apartment.


	4. Chapter 4

I walked back home in a daze, not sure if this was real or was it a really good dream. Occasionally I would touch my lips with the tips of my fingers, where Gerard's lips were for a very short moment. I wanted to run back there, grab him and kiss him again until I couldn't breathe or think anymore, have my arms around him, trace his body with my fingers and kiss him some more. My stomach twisted pleasantly every time I thought about it and left me aching for the contact.

I knew he had a free day on Wednesday but the waiting was going to kill me. It took a long time for me to fall asleep and when I woke up I was almost convinced I dreamt all of it. Ray was waiting for me already with coffee in his hand still keeping up the school boy act even though I told him to loosen up a little and relax. The day was going painfully slowly, I even asked Ray to take the appointments I had after lunch because I had trouble concentrating. He took them seriously though I could see he was hiding an excited smile. I know it wasn't his job to treat the animals but that's what he wanted and I wasn't going to complain for getting to go home sooner. Though when I took off my shoes and greeted my dogs I realized what I had just done. I had a free evening but I couldn't go to the balcony anymore to stalk him, I'd rather jump off of it than watch shitty TV again, showing up at the bar to see him seemed a bit to desperate and the clinic was the only thing keeping me distracted from thinking about Gerard. I did the first thing that came to my mind and grabbed my guitar. I tried to drag the spare time I had by replaying old songs or trying to play some of them from ear, I even created some tunes of my own that sounded alright. That's how I spent my Monday and the thought that I still had 2 more days to go made me wish I was a time lord so I could skip ahead.

The next 2 days I stayed in the clinic for as long as possible and poor Ray stayed with me even after I told him he can go home. He was very devoted to his job. When I finally got home on Wednesday evening I wasted no time, let my dogs out for a walk, took a shower, changed and went to his place. I was done with the waiting around and was just eager to see him again.

He opened the door right after I knocked, the way he looked and smiled at me I just wanted to kiss him, hard and back him up against the wall. Instead I went for

"Hey, I'm here. Just like I promised" I still couldn't keep from smiling at the memory of how he made me agree to come here and from the way he was looking at me I'd say he was thinking the same thing. He let me in and we went into his kitchen again and had another cup of coffee. This time there was a little less talking and a bit more staring at one another and letting the silence say all there was needed to be said. We agreed on watching a movie, I honestly didn't care what we were doing as long as Gerard was near me.

I finished my coffee and turned on the water so I could wash the cup, it was the polite thing to do as my mother told me. Gerard pushed me away slightly turning off the water tap

"Oh you don't need to do that, I'll take care of it myself later" Gerard said putting the cup back in the sink

"It's alright, I'll save you the time then" I said determined to wash the god damn cup. He put his hand on mine pushing it away from the sink

"No but the movie is about to start and really you're being too nice I'll clean it-" this time it was me who shut him up with a kiss. I may have been waiting for this chance the whole evening. It was a short and sweet kiss like the one he gave me. After I pulled away he stared at me with a surprised look before letting out a breath and pulling me in by my neck for another kiss. This one was deeper but still sweet and slow. I put one arm around his back and the other tangled in his hair. He kept his hand on the side of my face sometimes dragging his fingertips lightly across my skin making me shiver his other hand was gently laid on my hip. All of it felt so good I wanted it to last for the whole evening, the pleasant knots in my stomach, my skin tingling from his touches but apparently Gerard had other plans. He opened his mouth a bit and dragged his tongue along my lower lip. I opened my mouth in invitation and let him explore it. An involuntary moan escaped in his mouth and that seemed to work like a trigger because Gerard tightened his grip around me pushing me completely against him and added more pressure to my lips making the kiss intense and desperate.

I pulled on his hair a couple of times and took a small step back with him. He got the message and pulled away from me grabbing my hand and dragging me out of the kitchen into the living room. Gerard turned around and slammed his lips against mine one more time guiding me towards the couch. Something occurred to me so I pulled away and said

"I think it would be better if we go to your bedroom" I was out of breath, Gerard was panting as well. He looked confused

"Why?" he asked. I looked over to the balcony and he followed my gaze

"Someone might be watching" I said with a small smile. A mischievous grin appeared on Gerard's face as he spun me around to the direction of his bedroom. I couldn't help but steal kisses from him along the way. When we reached the room I didn't bother looking around it, staring at the art on the walls, for now all I wanted was a bed and Gerard on it. So that's what I did, I pushed him down on the bed getting on top of him and setting my leg between his. I pushed my knee down gently creating friction between it and his crotch while attacking his neck with my mouth. Gerard let out a surprised gasp followed by a moan. I smiled against his neck wondering what other sounds he can make and started to quickly undo the buttons on his shirt

"Someone's in a hurry" Gerard said with a smile. I kissed him softly and said

"Sorry, I just… I just fucking need you" I swung my leg over so I was straddling him and sat up quickly pulling off my own shirt and throwing it down on the floor. Gerard was staring at me with wide eyes

"What? What is it?" I asked. Maybe he was having doubts or there was something wrong. He tried to sit up so I moved back a bit so I was sitting in his lap. He traced the ink on my chest and arms with the tips of his fingers and I made an appreciative noise at the back of my throat.

"You're beautiful" he said it simply like it was the most obvious thing. He turned me over on my back, kissed me messily and trailed down kissing and licking every patch of inked skin he could find. I didn't hold back the moans and the whimpers especially when he reached a sensitive spot. Gerard was very thorough and took his time not that I minded of course but I was getting impatient when he reached the search and destroy tattoo, my cock already painfully hard trapped inside my pants.

"Gerard… just uhh enough… please" that's all I could manage to get out, my mind wasn't making sense anymore. He found his way back to my mouth and kissed me deeply before grinding down hard against the bulge in my jeans. I threw my head back automatically and let out a loud noise.

"You're wearing way too many clothes. Off." I said as I finished unbuttoning his shirt and nearly ripping it off him. I grabbed his ass pushing him down even harder on me and that made him roll his hips faster. Gerard was panting and gasping right near my ear, his hot breath hitting my neck driving me close. There was a thin layer of sweat forming on his body and his moans were becoming louder and shorter. My other hand dug into Gerard's back as I felt my stomach tightening and pushed myself against him a couple of more times before I came embarrassingly in my pants. After a second or two Gerard came as well with a loud shout, fisting the sheets near my head. We took a moment of not moving, staying there close to each other catching our breaths. Gerard rolled off me and I turned on my side so I could look at his flushed face and messy hair properly. I leaned in for a gentle kiss leaving my face close by. He looked so relaxed and happy like the first day I saw him dancing and painting. A smile spread on my face from that memory. Gerard glanced at something behind me and his face turned sad

"It's late, I guess you can't stay the night, you have work in the morning" he said quietly. I completely forgot about that, it seemed like I was living a different life when I was with him, one that didn't require me to be away from him. I was about to get up from the bed when I thought of something. I took out my phone and typed in quickly a message, pressed send and laid back down on the bed

"I can stay for the night" I said moving his hair out of his face.

"But what about your job?" he asked confused

"I asked Ray to fill in for me in the morning until I get there and I know he'd be more than glad to do it" I said revealing my idea. Gerard's face lit up

"Well I guess I should get you a pair of clean underwear then" he said getting up from the bed.

"Yeah, that'd be great" I said relieved and went into the bathroom to clean up and change. When I walked out Gerard was sitting on the bed finishing a cigarette. He looked me up and down and smirked

"If I hadn't just come 10 minutes ago I'd have you against that wall and fuck your brains out" he said getting under the sheets and motioning for me to join

"Just keep that in mind for later" I said laying down under the warm sheets and finding Gerard's lips in the darkness. We kissed lazily for a while before we both got too tired and we fell asleep in each other's arms.

I woke up from the sun shining in my eyes, Gerard's head comfortably lying on my chest our legs tangled up together and he was breathing slowly and evenly. I didn't dare to move and wake him up, instead I stroked his hair softly before closing my eyes again thinking 'I could get used to this habit' and drifting off back to sleep.


End file.
